Dine Out: Longhorn satisfying, but not flawless

Thursday

Feb 28, 2013 at 12:01 AMFeb 28, 2013 at 6:02 PM

I remember the days when there were steakhouses all around that didn't have to rely on gimmicks. They didn't have to be from Australia or Canada or Texas; they were just quality restaurants that focused primarily on serving up good, old-fashioned steaks (which, come to think of it, might have been a gimmick in and of itself).

TIM WEISBERG

I remember the days when there were steakhouses all around that didn't have to rely on gimmicks. They didn't have to be from Australia or Canada or Texas; they were just quality restaurants that focused primarily on serving up good, old-fashioned steaks (which, come to think of it, might have been a gimmick in and of itself).

Longhorn Steakhouse does play up the Western theme in both decor and menu, but it's still one of the better chain restaurants around. With school vacation week keeping my 8-year-old son Adam quite busy, I decided a family dinner was in order so that we could all spend some time together on a recent Thursday evening — at least for a few hours.

When we arrived at the Longhorn Steakhouse in Wareham Crossing, I thought we'd be in for a long wait, but that wasn't the case. We were seated rather quickly for the dinner hour, maybe about three or four minutes, and we were shown to a comfortable high-backed booth amidst the various cowboy-themed paraphernalia. My seat gave me a great view of the giant stuffed steer head that dominates the bar area.

Our pleasant and efficient server Candy brought us menus and a basket of warm honey wheat bread with whipped butter. I remember on previous visits being served the bread on a cutting board, but not this time. Also, Longhorn likes to promote their bread as "unlimited," but we never were offered a second helping. It was the only blemish on an otherwise excellent performance by Candy, who even managed to hold her own in a conversation with Adam about video games.

She brought our drinks — a Diet Coke for Jennifer ($2.49), milk for Adam ($2.49) and cherry lemonade for me ($2.99) — while we tried to decide what to order. All three beverages had free refills during our visit.

For an appetizer, I was drawn to one of their "limited-time only" starters, Wild West calamari. I thought better of ordering seafood from a chain steakhouse, however. Instead, I chose a cup of French onion soup ($4.29) while Jennifer and Adam shared an order of firecracker chicken wraps ($8.79). My soup came topped with melted Swiss cheese and featured a sirloin broth that had just the right amount of saltiness. There were also a few large croutons baked in as well, but not nearly enough onions.

The chicken wraps were stuffed with spicy grilled chicken and cheese, in the tiny, crispy tortillas that are all the rage in appetizers these days. It came with what the menu described as a "cool Avocado-lime" dipping sauce to help tone down the heat, but I didn't find them to be overly spicy.

Adam, who has become a connoisseur of spicy foods, said they were perfect.

There was a bit of a wait between the appetizers and our salads, which were included with our meals. Jennifer went with the mixed green salad with bleu cheese dressing while I chose the Caesar. Adam asked for just a plate of romaine topped with croutons and ranch dressing, and Candy was happy to oblige. You can also upgrade to one of their "signature salads," either the bleu ridge salad or the strawberry pecan salad, for $1.59 more.

The entrees arrived before we had finished our salads, but that was fine with me; I was ready for some meat. I wanted a big, juicy steak — something I've had trouble with at Longhorn in the past. It's always seemed like the bigger the cut, the more likely it was to be less-than-satisfactory. But I figured I'd take the chance, and I ordered the 18-ounce Outlaw Ribeye ($22.99).

I was not disappointed with the steak itself, which was well-seasoned and well-marbled and a very impressive portion. Rather, I was saddened to see it was much rarer than the medium-rare I had asked for. Still, I didn't send it back for fear that it would end up coming back overdone. The loaded baked potato I chose as a side was cooked just fine, topped with bacon, shredded cheese, butter and sour cream. Other options for sides include a sweet potato with cinnamon sugar and butter, vegetables, fries, rice pilaf, or for $1.59 more, you can go with steamed asparagus or steakhouse mac and cheese, which has bacon mixed in along with the four cheeses.

I also ordered a side of Longhorn steak sauce ($1.99), which the menu proclaims is made tableside. The manager himself came over to mix it when the time came, but all he really did was dump some chopped rosemary and garlic into a pot of warmed steak sauce, and then give me a small cup of chopped chilies to add my own level of spiciness.

While it was very good, it also seemed to me like it was a way to get another $2 out of me, rather than just putting a bottle of steak sauce on the table.

Jennifer chose the 9-ounce bacon-wrapped filet ($23.49), and it too was undercooked, rare rather than the requested medium-rare.

It was especially noticeable with such a tender cut of meat, but she didn't want to send it back either. I offered her some of my steak sauce, but she said it would be sacrilege to put steak sauce on a filet, and she's probably right. She also had the loaded baked potato.

One of these days, I hope to get to Longhorn to tackle the 30-ounce porterhouse for two ($39.99) — by myself. It'll be my own personal "Man vs. Food" moment — as long as they cook it right.

Although Longhorn has a kids' menu — including items ranging from a hot dog, grilled cheese or mac and cheese ($4.49 each) to a kid's sirloin ($6.99) — Adam had an adult-sized hunger that evening. He ordered a regular portion of chicken tenders ($13.99), about a half-dozen hand-breaded chicken cutlets deep fried to a golden crisp. It also came with a side salad and his choice of a side; he went with French fries, and used them to sample my steak sauce. Still, $14 seemed a little steep.

In fact, there is really nothing on the Longhorn menu, in terms of entrees, for less than $10. The only sandwiches are a burger for $10.79 or a chicken sandwich for $10.99, and even the entree salads cost $12.99 or more. Other items include baby-back ribs ($15.99 for a half rack or $19.99 for a full), pork chops ($15.99), grilled rainbow trout ($14.99) and grilled chicken and stuffed portabella ($13.99).

But there are deals to be had. Longhorn is currently running a "2 for $25" promotion, in which two people can share an appetizer or a dessert, each get a side salad, and then each choose from a list of entrees that includes the 6-ounce Renegade sirloin, a "lighter portion" of the parmesan crusted chicken or the Sierra chicken, an 8-ounce pork chop or a 7-ounce salmon. If you want to indulge a little more, you can upgrade the entrees to a Flo's Filet for $6 per order.

We decided to partake in some dessert. I chose the Apple Goldrush ($6.99), while Jennifer and Adam shared the Golden Nugget Cheesecake ($5.99). The Goldrush is one of my favorite desserts anywhere — it's basically a warm apple pie without the pie tin, topped with vanilla ice cream and a bourbon-caramel sauce made with Maker's Mark, one of my drinks of choice. The other dessert came in a large margarita glass, and featured six deep-fried cheesecake nuggets on top of vanilla ice cream and coated with a strawberry sauce. The only complaint was that the cheesecake was overcooked and tasted too much like the breading. Both desserts were certainly large enough to share.

Our total came to $103.24 — Longhorn isn't a place where the average family can visit once a week, but it is a good spot for an occasional special night out. Our visit may have been a little uneven, but it was still good enough for me to go back — especially once I've saved up enough to tackle the 30-ounce porterhouse.

Dine Out's reviewer visits restaurants unannounced and at his or her discretion. The Standard-Times pays for the meals reviewed. The reviews merely reflect one diner's experience. Ratings range from 1 to 5 stars.

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